The present invention relates to an easily removable label that is securely attached to a container yet facilitates recycling by leaving no permanent adhesive residue on the container once the label is separated. The basic concepts of the invention are similar to those in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/012,410 filed Feb. 2, 1993, and are particularly useful in situations where recycling of the container is desired. Utilizing the present invention, permanent adhesive on a label engages only other portions of the label, not the container itself, however the container itself is engaged by removable adhesive (preferably repositional adhesive) so that the label stays firmly in place, yet is readily removed once the label is torn to release the permanent adhesive attachment between free ends thereof.
The labels according to the present invention differ from those in the co-pending application Ser. No. 08/012,410 in the particular configuration in which they are provided, and in the particular location of the adhesive strips associated therewith. There are two basic forms of construction according to the invention. The first form is a roll of labels, with shingled overlapped portions. The second form is a pad of labels comprising first and second alternating types of labels.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a roll of labels is provided. Each label comprises: h substrate having first and second faces and first and second edges; indicia printed on the first face; a coating of removable adhesive disposed on the second face of the substrate; a pattern of permanent adhesive disposed adjacent the first edge on one face of the substrate, and an adhesive receiving area disposed adjacent the second edge on the other face of the substrate, so as to form a cooperating mating surface for the pattern of permanent adhesive; and a permanent adhesive release coat covering at least a portion of the other face aside from said adhesive receiving area. The labels are in shingled overlapped configuration in the roll with the pattern of permanent adhesive of each label, except the first and the last labels, in the roll in shingled overlapped engagement with the permanent adhesive release coat of an adjacent label, and the permanent adhesive release coat in shingled, overlapped engagement with the permanent adhesive of an adjacent label.
Typically the removable adhesive is repositional adhesive, and the "one" face is the second face while the "other" face is the first face. The permanent adhesive pattern is preferably a strip, and a permanent release coat is provided over the entire first face except for the strip of adhesive receiving area corresponding to the permanent adhesive strip. The repositional adhesive is preferably disposed over the entire second face of the label except where the permanent adhesive is provided.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a pad of labels is provided for use with containers, comprising first and second alternating types of labels. The first type of label comprises a substrate having first and second faces and first and second edges; indicia printed on the first face; a coating of removable adhesive disposed on the second face; a pattern of permanent adhesive disposed adjacent the first edge of the first face, and a cooperating pattern disposed adjacent the second edge of the second face. And, the second type of label comprises a substrate having first and second faces and first and second edges; indicia printed on the first face; a coating of removable adhesive disposed on the second face; a pattern of permanent adhesive disposed adjacent the second edge of the first face, and a cooperating pattern disposed adjacent the first edge of the second face.
The pad of labels described above also utilizes unique labels. The labels according to this aspect of the invention comprise: A substrate having first and second faces and first and second edges. Indicia printed on the first face. A coating of removable adhesive disposed on the second face of the substrate. A pattern of permanent adhesive disposed adjacent the first edge of the first face, comprising a plurality of strips of permanent adhesive elongated in the dimension between the first and second edges only extending a small portion of the distance between the first and second edges, and spaced from each other in a dimension transverse to the distance between the first and second edges. A permanent adhesive release material covering the first face except at the permanent adhesive pattern. And, a cooperating pattern disposed on the second face adjacent the second edge, the cooperating pattern having spaced strips aligned with the spaced strips on the first face when the label is wrapped around a container portion. The cooperating patterns are also preferably patterns of permanent adhesive.
Also, the invention contemplates a combination of a label with a container. The label has a distance between, the first and second edges thereof greater than the exterior dimensions of the container with which it is to be associated (e.g. bottle neck, bottle body, can circumference, etc.). The label is wrapped around the container exterior so that the edges overlap and the permanent adhesive and cooperating patterns are aligned to hold the label in place, the body of the label being held on the container with the repositional/removable adhesive.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide simple yet effective configurations for labels to be applied to containers such as bottles and cans. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.